Feedback welcome

Free-Daily.com's purpose is to report on the emerging free daily newspaper industry. While many experts have written off print media, free dailies are a promising concept that works on a number of levels. Tabloid-size free dailies are more widely read by young readers, giving them the news they need to lead their lives. Reaching this demographic is essential to advertisers. Free dailies are also an outlet for quality journalism.

While Free-Daily.com wants to see this industry developed, this site isn't about cheerleading. We report the bad news as well as the good, and we publish editorials highlighting problems and solutions.

Friday, July 11, 2003

The Washington Post announced today that it is entering the free daily business. It's entry is titled "Express" and it will appear later this summer (date to be announced) at train stations, college campuses and downtown locations with heavy traffic. The goal is two fold -- stop other free dailies from entering the market and capture the time and attention of younger readers who don't pick up the paid broadsheet post. Here's a press release.

Christopher Ma, a Post Company vice president and former executive editor of washingtonpost.com, will be the new paper's publisher; the general manager will be Arnold Applebaum, formerly director of recruitment advertising at The Post. Express will be edited by Daniel Caccavaro, formerly editor-in-chief of Boston Metro, a free commuter newspaper launched in Boston in 2001.